Chapter 6
Two days after they signed the marriage contract, everything was settled. A common licence had been purchased, and they had agreed to marry in the Grosvenor Chapel, close to Darcy’s house, in nine days’ time.
Mr Bennet had sent his consent and expressed a desire to meet Darcy. However, Darcy’s own family were completely ignorant of what was to occur, and it was time for him to inform them.
The first person he invited to dinner, planning to share the news, was his cousin the colonel.
Darcy depended on him for support in facing or rather fighting the opposition of others.
In the afternoon, however, his disposition was completely ruined when he received two letters, one from Georgiana, the other from Wickham.
As he had no doubt that both letters had been written to serve the scoundrel’s purpose, Darcy began by reading his.
It was a shameless reminder that there were only three weeks until the due-day for handing over his sister’s fortune and that the reprobate needed the money urgently ‘in order to ensure Georgiana a comfortable and safe life and to protect her from any potential harm’.
It was the barely veiled threat that tortured and enraged Darcy at the same time, especially after he read Georgiana’s note, which expressed her ‘joy in marriage’ and pleaded with him to treat her husband ‘with kindness and patience’.
It was outrageous and incomprehensible for him how the idiot had gained so much power, so much influence over his sister and his father.
He had not much time for contemplation, as the colonel appeared earlier than expected.
“I need a drink, and I warn you that I am starving. I hope dinner will be ready soon,” his cousin announced as he strode into the library.
“I am glad to see you too, Richard,” Darcy replied. “Do I dare ask what has caused you such thirst and such a ravenous appetite? Or would I be better not to enquire?”
“You may ask, but I might not respond. Regardless, I am very pleased with the timing of your invitation. Did you miss me so much? We only dined together four days ago.”
“I did miss you, but that is not the reason for the invitation. Let us have a drink. We surely need one.” Darcy poured two glasses of brandy, and the men took seats.
“I can see you are in low spirits, Darcy. I assume you have received news from that toad?”
“I have. And from Georgiana. Here are the letters, if you wish to ruin your appetite.”
The colonel took the offered sheets of paper, glancing at both, then looked back at Darcy.
“If you give him the money, he will waste it in less than twelve months. He will not do anything for Georgiana’s comfort, and then you may expect the worst. As Georgiana’s guardian, I should have a say, so I repeat the suggestion that we use a much cheaper and more effective means of ensuring her tranquillity.
You do not even need to know when and how — I shall take care of everything. ”
“I cannot have him killed, Richard. Not that I am not tempted. What would come of this world and this society if we killed anyone we disliked or anyone to whom we had legal obligations we did not want to fulfil?”
“I am not suggesting killing everyone, just one particular person who surely deserves it.”
“It was Georgiana’s choice, just as it was Father’s choice to trust Wickham with his affection and his money.
I warned them both, but my words meant nothing next to Wickham’s promises.
I told Father so many times about that worm’s depravation and deceptive character, but he still dismissed my reports and trusted him. ”
“Because you were away at university, then busy travelling between Pemberley and London fulfilling your obligations to the family and the estate. In the meantime, Wickham visited your father whenever you were gone. Both your father and your sister were broken-hearted after your mother’s death, and they were easy victims of that scoundrel. ”
“Father loved and trusted Wickham even before my mother’s death.”
“Yes, but back then, he would never have confided in Wickham, would never have given him money to invest in a dubious business which probably did not even exist. In your father’s will, Wickham was only left one thousand pounds and the recommendation for you to give him the Kympton living when it became vacant. ”
“True…”
“The problems arose after your mother’s death, when your father began to drink and to use opium, seeking oblivion as palliation for his pain.
That was the moment when Wickham saw his weakness and attacked.
Made himself indispensable in providing the cursed poison to your father and taking advantage of the moments when he was not himself.
You should have thrown him in prison or even killed him the moment you discovered his schemes!
I still insist it is the best solution!”
“It was a while after Father’s death before I found out how deeply our financial situation had been affected and how empty Pemberley’s coffers were. Even longer before I discovered Wickham’s involvement in it all and how extended his machinations of Father had been. By that time, he was gone…”
“Until this summer, when he plotted against Georgiana,” the colonel replied angrily. “The elopement and that outrageous wedding are further reasons to carry out my suggestion! There cannot be a better future or finer prospect for Georgiana than to be a young widow!”
“What can I do, Richard? Georgiana knew what sort of man Wickham was. I even told her how he had deceived our father. And yet, she decided — willingly — to elope with him. I went after her, I spoke to her, I tried to convince her to return home — and she flatly refused.”
“I might sound harsh, but Georgiana is a silly and spoilt girl — a child! — to whom you allowed too much liberty. She does not know her mind and her heart. A scoundrel like Wickham, well versed in seduction, knew exactly how to ensnare her — with a few kisses and caresses. You should have hired someone to kill him and then dragged her home!”
“Come now, Richard, you are speaking in anger. I doubt you would have done that if it had been your own sister. I still hope she might see reason and I shall be able to convince her to return home. I hope that, once he has her fortune in his filthy hands, the knave will no longer need Georgiana. In fact, she might be an obstacle to his way of living, so he should be relieved to get rid of her.”
“Well, maybe Pemberley’s situation is not so dire after all — you must have more money than you need if you are so eager to waste it on a ne’er-do-well like Wickham. It is your decision, as always. This is probably the only matter in which I strongly disagree with you and believe you to be a fool!”
“I might be a fool, and you may be right, but I am struggling to find a reasonable method to resolve a dreadful situation, one that will not ruin the Darcy name and legacy, my father’s memory, or my sister’s reputation.
For now, only a few people know she married my father’s godson, and none of them have betrayed the secret yet — Wickham’s two friends, your family, Mrs Reynolds, and the miserable Mrs Younge, whom I still have not found or punished accordingly for her betrayal.
Oh, and of course Mr and Mrs Gardiner. And I shall tell Bingley, but I trust him to keep the news to himself. ”
“I am a little surprised by your utter confidence in the Gardiners. Not that I have any reason to doubt them, but they are neither family nor friends.”
“Mr Gardiner was one of the solicitors who handled some of my father’s affairs.
He was the partner of the late Mr Richmond.
As young as he was, and new in the profession of law, Mr Gardiner was clever enough to suspect and then uncover Wickham’s illicit involvement.
He also had some knowledge of trade, so he helped me discover the truth after Father died. ”
“Yes, I know all this.”
“Then you should also know he is my trusted advisor and a friend on whom I can always count. He helped me invest my money wisely so I could replace everything my father lost in his final years. As for Mrs Gardiner, she grew up in Lambton, so she is somewhat acquainted with my family. Since you already knew all this, you should not be surprised that I informed them about Georgiana’s marriage. ”
“And for how long do you think you can keep the secret? One way or another, the rumours will spread through London and will reach Lady Catherine. You will not be able to control the scandal.”
“I know. But I hope I can still save our name from complete ruin.”
“The situation is not quite so dramatic if we give it proper consideration. Your sister — though very young — married a man your father loved and supported his entire life. The real secret that must be kept is that of Wickham’s true character and his malicious influence that induced your father to waste so much money. ”
“You and the Gardiners are the only ones who know the full extent and gravity of that situation, and I trust it will remain that way.”
“You may depend on my secrecy. But you should consider that once he has Georgiana’s fortune, Wickham will try to enter the higher circles of London society, and it is only a matter of time before his actions lead to unpleasant consequences.”
“I know…” Darcy repeated thoughtfully. “Richard, before dinner is announced, there is something very important I must tell you. Something that is also a secret for now. I am counting on you to help me share it with your family in a manner that will cause as little damage as possible.”
The colonel choked on his drink and put his glass down on the table.
“There is something else? What on Earth has happened this time?”
“Well…” Darcy rose, took a few steps, then finally said, “I am engaged to be married in just over a week.”
The colonel stopped breathing, his eyes and mouth wide open, staring in silence for a few moments. Then he gulped and blinked several times before he replied.